October 24, 2011

Dan Marino talks about fateful sack, fumble: Blocker not supposed to cut-block an LB on that play

> Posted by Joe Rose on October 24, 2011 04:47 PM

Dan Marino was on the show Monday morning and he offered an inside-the-film-room commentary regarding the Dolphins' final play.

Q: Dan, Matt Moore gets sacked by D.J. Williams and fumbles, and a few plays later the Broncos win. Take us inside that play.

A: I'm not blaming anybody, and I don't even know who was supposed to block D.J. Williams, but I did see, which I can't stand, and never did, and I would never let ... I would complain and let guys know about it, is you never try and cut [block] a linebacker inside a seven-step-drop pocket. Because they jump over, they're too athletic, they're going to jump over and they're going to disrupt you as a quarterback. You've got to stand up and him him. You may get run over, but you have to disrupt their path. ... You've got to stand up and hit 'em, unless it's a three-step-drop quick pass. So, at the end of that game, I mean, he had time. He held the ball, yes. But the back, I can't remember who it was, came up and tried to cut him. And you can't do that.

Al Golden: 'I want the kids to play with passion and not play scared'

> Posted by Joe Rose on October 24, 2011 09:15 AM

Miami Hurricanes coach Al Golden joined me on the show Monday morning following his team's impressive win over Georgia Tech. Some of the highlights:

Q: Coach, the passion, and it starts with you, on fourth-and-2, you say, 'guys, we're going for it. We're going to score a touchdown. No field goals early in this game. Let's kick their you-know-what.' And it looked like the team fed off of that for the rest of the game. Do you agree, coach?

A: I hope so. I mean, we came out fighting. I mean the kids worked really hard, Joe. That's a tough week, now. On offense, we were getting ready for the odd defense for the first time, and then [Georgia Tech assistant] coach [Al] Groh brought things he hadn't shown all year during the game, and on the other side, we were defending the triple option, and then on special teams, we were coming off a really poor performance. All three phases stepped up and the guys were ready to go.

Q: Talk about how much better the defense has gotten under coach [Mark] D'Onofrio?

A: I think there's two things going on right now. No. 1, they got a taste in the North Carolina game. There was about 25 plays in a row where North Carolina, in the third quarter and maybe early fourth quarter, where North Carolina didn't really get anything going. And I think the guys understood what team defense was, and of course it carried over to this week, because this is the ultimate test of team defense, and the guys really did an exceptional job. And as I said after the game, I think that coach D'Onofrio is the best at defending this. He's 4-0 in his past four opportunities against this defense.

Q: I think your relationship with your quarterback is really special and it's really helped him because he feeds off you. Would you agree with that?

A: Yeah, because he had been smoking hot here for three-and-a-half games and then it wasn't going perfect for him, it really wasn't. And, you've got to give Georgia Tech credit, because they were doing some things that they had not show and got us off track a little. But, again, he made plays when he had to.

Q: Coach, Jacory Harris looked a little frustrated. He called a timeout, and they show a close-up, and I thought the way you handled it was, for me it's refreshing. Instead of getting frustrated and saying 'Dammit, you know how much we like those timeouts, what are you doing?' You were like, 'Hey, hey, hey, it's good.' You had a smile on your face and let him know, 'It's not bad, come over here, let's talk.'

A: We prepare. You come to our practices, we coach hard. We demand a lot, we demand excellence, and our guys really work hard, but the game is for the game is for the kids, man. I want to have fun. I want the kids to play with passion and not play scared, and that's got to start with me. I'm not going to berate a quarterback because of a timeout. Really? C'mon. A timeout?

October 21, 2011

Mike Florio: If Dolphins get first pick, house-cleaning must be done with Luck in mind

> Posted by Joe Rose on October 21, 2011 08:21 PM

Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio was on the show on Friday morning. Here are some highlights:

Q: I keep hearing about Carl Peterson waiting in the wings to take over for the Dolphins. Please tell me that's not going to happen.

A: There is a growing belief that, when the house is cleaned, that Peterson is going to be heavily involved in whatever takes its place, whether he is in a position like Parcells was, whether he's in a position of GM. You know, anything other than coach is fair game right now.

Q: Alex Marvez stirred it up pretty good down here yesterday, saying that everyone should cool it on 'Suck for Luck' and that Andrew Luck might not come here even if the Dolphins are in position to draft him. Do you agree with that?

A: This is where the selection of a new head coach, new general manager, these are all things that are going to be done with Andrew Luck in mind if the Dolphins 'earn' that first overall draft pick. I don't think Andrew Luck stays in school. I just think he tries dictating where he's going to go and tries to force a trade.

Chad Henne: I 'want to get on a winning track here'

> Posted by Joe Rose on October 21, 2011 04:24 PM

Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne was on the show Friday morning. Some highlights:

Q: Chad, how are you feeling?

A: A week and a half off of surgery, I feel a lot better. I'm getting into rehab and getting it going right now.

Q: What's the gameplan the rest of the year? Do you go out and help Matt Moore and stay involved? Listen, your contract is up after this year, how do you treat the rest of this season?

A: Yeah, I'm going to do everything I can to help Matt out and be around the team as much as I can.

Q: Chad, what did you think of the loss to the Jets and the whole game plan?

A: It was tough. They started really well, and then we made some mistakes in the second half and he wasn't getting a lot of help there. We had some dropped passes that we needed to catch and just some critical situations that we didn't capitalize on.

Q: Chad, I want to ask you, have you thought about your future?

A: We're going to see what's out there, but obviously, I'd love to be down here, playing in Miami. I've enjoyed my time here and I definitely love this team and these guys around here and want to get on a winning track here.

Q: Your thoughts on Brandon Marshall. Is it possible for a quarterback to have a good relationship with this guy?

A: Yeah. He's a good guy and he's doing a lot of good things this year. There are up and down times, but he's done a good job. He just needs to be more consistent in his play.

October 20, 2011

Kirk Herbstreit lauds Al Golden, Jacory Harris, Lamar Miller

> Posted by Joe Rose on October 20, 2011 08:55 PM

ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit joined me on the show Thursday. He had some nice things to say about the Miami Hurricanes:

Q: Can you believe Jacory Harris' turnaround? No interceptions in the past three games.

A: I've watched him every single week, and I have been really happy for him, because one of the things that you and I, and everybody else, have been perplexed by has been the fact he has so much God-given ability that over the years, it's been inconsistent, and to see what he has been able to do up to this point, he's been great. His leadership and his decision-making, I think, has a lot to do with why this team is able to compete and why they are where they are right now, and they've not shut it down. You and I talked about that last week, that one of the more impressive things has been that Al Golden has gotten this team to fight. Not everything has gone always perfectly, and yet they've gone out there and maintained a certain attitude, and I think that when you can do that, you can always have an opportunity to win long-term. As far as Jacory Harris is concerned, I think he deserves a lot of credit for staying the course and continuing to go out there and do what's asked of him. ... All in all, if you're a Miami fan, you gotta like the way this team has wanted to go out there and attack. You also have to like the way Lamar Miller continues to run, averaging about six and a half yards a carry. ... I challenge anybody to say who's having a better year than Lamar Miller. I think he's definitely a Doak Walker finalist, and I think that takes some of the pressure off Jacory and that passing game.

Alex Marvez: Don't count on Luck playing for 'train-wreck' Dolphins

> Posted by Joe Rose on October 20, 2011 02:47 PM

Alex Marvez, Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com, brought his "A" game once again on the show this morning, and was brutally honest in talking about the state of the Miami Dolphins. Marvez went as far as to say that even if the Dolphins drafted Stanford star quarterback Andrew Luck, there's a strong chance he wouldn't play for them. Listen to interview below:

October 12, 2011

Yeremiah Bell: 'We've done some boneheaded things out there'

> Posted by Joe Rose on October 12, 2011 01:26 PM

Miami Dolphins safety Yeremiah Bell joined us on the show Wednesday morning. Some highlights:

Q: The team needs to start getting some turnovers, some game-changing plays, don't you think?

A: Yeah, I agree. That's what our league is made up of is game-changing plays, big plays, you know, anything to change the momentum of the game, and I think that's where we're lacking. I think we have two turnovers, so any time you can get those game-changing plays, it's huge for your team. One, it gives you the momentum, then it stops the opposing team's drive."

Q: What area do you think needs to be cleaned up the most?

A: Communication. We need to talk to each other, I mean, we've done some boneheaded things out there. Some really surprising things, like turning guys loose in man coverage, you know, that's something you never do. If we start cleaning that up, we'll start winning ballgames and start turning this thing around."

Dan Marino: Chad Henne can 'definitely' play in the NFL

> Posted by Joe Rose on October 12, 2011 10:18 AM

When Dan Marino joined me for his weekly segment on Monday, I had to ask him about Chad Henne, who very well may have played his final game for the Miami Dolphins:

Q: I thought he played better this year, had some dropped balls, some pass protection issues. I think under the circumstances, he played well. What do you think his future is?

A: I feel bad for him, because I know all the work he's put in, and, you know, it's been tough on him, to be honest with you. A lot of people are down on him, and they've struggled as far as winning games and getting points. And now, you've got to get hurt and are out for the year and you've got to deal with all that. It's tough on a young quarterback, but that's the way the position is, man, and it's unforgiving sometimes. Hopefully he comes back and can be successful again, you know, because I like him.

Q: I do, too. I just hope he goes somewhere and gets a fresh start. ... Do you think he can play in the league?

A: I think he can, yes, definitely. ... The kid got hurt, and it's a shame, because he was getting better.

October 10, 2011

Golden: Postgame emotions took hold after 'the most unusual 7 weeks'

> Posted by Joe Rose on October 10, 2011 09:16 AM

Miami Hurricanes coach Al Golden, coming off an emotional loss at Virginia Tech, joined me on Monday for his weekly segment. Some highlights:

Q: Coach, are you doing any better today? Boy, what a game.

A: Yeah. The kids played hard, competed. They were down 21-7 in Blacksburg. Again, many a team have packed it up at that point. I thought our kids showed good leadership, fought, had a chance to win the game. And we just need one more stop. That's where we're at on defense. We just need one more stop, or some takeaways, and we have a chance to get this thing corrected.

Q: Your emotions after the game, were they attributable to everything this season catching up to you, coach?

A: I think so. It's been the most unusual seven weeks. As Coach [Frank] Beamer said to me before the game, there's been no consistency, it's been unbelievable what you guys have been going through for the past six weeks. It's just one of those deals, it's just emotional because of the tears I had just left in the locker room, all the guys who laid it on the line. I'm glad we feel like that. I didn't see that in Maryland. I'm glad we feel like that now, that we have invested so much in the offseason program and our unity in the summer conditioning program and then the preparation going into that game to be able to function like that on offense. I mean, who does that in that stadium? Who functions like that on offense in that stadium? The answer is nobody. ... five-hundred and whatever yards and no turnovers and lose the game. That's gut-wrenching. Gut-wrenching.

Q: You're shorthanded, obviously, on defense. Not just guys out, but guys who are out for the season. How do you patch that thing up the rest of the year? What do you have left? Any true freshman? Any good thing coming back?

A: If you got 'em, smoke 'em. That's what we got. We don't have anybody else. ... We understand who we are right now on defense. We're not going to accept it, but we also know that if we don't get stops on third down or in the red zone or take the ball away, and we got stops in the red zone earlier in the year, we're going to continue to struggle.

Q: Lamar Miller looks really good every week. What is your perspective on him?

A: Lamar, people forget that he's 215 pounds doing that. He's not a 190-pound guy who can stop and start and move laterally. I thought he finished his runs well, Joe, which set up the big ones late in the game. ... Certainly a lot of credit goes to the offensive line, our three inside guys on offensive line are playing really good right now, [Tyler] Horn, [St. Thomas Aquinas graduate Brandon] Linder and [Harland] Gunn. ... Gunn played his best game. He was great, I thought.

October 3, 2011

Al Golden: Jacory Harris' loyalty to Miami and his team 'is incredible'

> Posted by Joe Rose on October 3, 2011 09:49 AM

Miami Hurricanes coach Al Golden joined me on the show Monday as his team prepares to resume its ACC conference schedule with a visit to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Saturday:

Q: A little bit related to the Miami Dolphins situation, how do you keep a team focused when there is so much negativity around?

A: I think we're going through that right now, because clearly expectations are high at University of Miami football, as well they should be, and I think a great example of that, Joe, is just Jacory Harris. He just goes out there every day and just does the things that we ask him to do. He's not really worried about accolades, he'sw not worried about public perception, he's not worried about running for office, to be honest with you. I think he's taken the lead from the staff, and he's just moving forward. He's getting better, and there's a lot of people out there who think that once you get to his age in college football, you can't improve, you cannot get better. But that's clearly not the case at quarterback. Now, there are some positions where you are who you are by the time you're a senior, but not at the quarterback position.

Q: There are some people who are never going to be happy with Jacory, no matter what, with his coming in from Northwestern with such high expectations.

A: I understand that, and I think he's getting to the point where he's mature enough to know that he can't do anything about that. ... The thing that's disappointing to me as the new kid on the block is, his loyalty to this team and the university is incredible. It's incredible. He's the same guy everyday. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if he gets a concussion, he loves his teammates, he loves the university. He's a tremendous young man, and I just feel like his loyalty to this program, his teammates and this university... it's incongruent how he's being treated outside right now.

About the Author

Joe Rose became a sportscaster as a natural extension of his college and professional football career. He was a seventh round draft pick from the University of California at Berkeley and later a tight-end for the Miami Dolphins from 1980 through 1986. Aside from his radio and television work, Rose is probably best known for catching Dan Marino's first touchdown pass of his professional career. In addition, he had the distinction of having caught two touchdown passes in the Miami and San Diego match-up in 1982. Earlier in 1980, during his rookie year with the Dolphins, he was also voted MVP in the East/West All Star Game. Check him out at WQAM